Process for hydrogenating dichloroisopropyl ether

Abstract

Convert dichloroisopropyl ether into a halogenated derivative by contacting the dichloroisopropyl ether with a source of hydrogen and a select heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst under process conditions selected from a combination of a temperature within a range of from 50 degrees centigrade (° C.) to 350° C., a pressure within a range of from atmospheric pressure (0.1 megapascals) to 1000 pounds per square inch (6.9 MPa), a liquid feed volume flow to catalyst mass ratio between 0.5 and 10 L/Kg*h and a volume hydrogen/volume liquid ratio between 100 and 5000 ml gas/ml liquid. The halogenated derivative is at least one of 1-chloro-2-propanol and 1,2-dichloropropane 1, and glycerin monochlorohydrin.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for converting dichloroisopropyl ether into a halogenated derivative that comprises contacting the dichloroisopropyl ether with a source of hydrogen and a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst selected from a group consisting of a ruthenium on carbon catalyst, a copper/chromium/manganese/barium catalyst, a copper/calcium supported on silica catalyst and a copper/zinc catalyst under process conditions selected from a combination of a temperature within a range of from 50 degrees centigrade (° C.) to 350° C., a pressure within a range of from atmospheric pressure (0.1 megapascals) to 1000 pounds per square inch (6.9 MPa), a liquid feed volume flow to catalyst mass ratio between 0.5 and 10 L/Kg*h and a volume hydrogen/volume liquid ratio between 100 and 5000 ml gas/ml liquid, the halogenated derivative at least one of 1-chloro-2-propanol and 1,2-dichloropropane, and glycerin monochlorohydrin. 
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the combination includes at least one of a temperature of from 100° C. to 300° C., a pressure of from 10 psi (0.069 megapascal (MPa) to 200 psi (1.38 MPa, a liquid feed volume flow to catalyst mass ratio within a range of from 1 L/Kg*h to 8 L/Kg*h, and a volume hydrogen/volume liquid ratio of from 350 ml gas/ml liquid to 3500 ml gas/ml liquid. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the combination includes at least one of a temperature of from 150° C. to 250° C., a pressure of from 10 psi (0.069 MPa) to 20 psi (0.138 MPa), a liquid feed volume flow to catalyst mass ratio within a range of from 1.4 L/Kg*h to 5 L/Kg*h, and a volume hydrogen/volume liquid ratio of from 600 ml gas/ml liquid to 2700 ml gas/ml liquid.